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Chapter 30: Q3CQ (page 1110)

If atoms exist, why can’t we see them with visible light?

Short Answer

Expert verified

As the difference between an atom's size and the wavelength of visible light is too great, atoms cannot be seen with visible light.

Step by step solution

01

Define atom

The matter is composed of number of constituents and the smallest of all those is the atom. The three types of matter say solid liquid, gas and the plasma are all composed of atoms of different characteristics, while the atom can be neutral, positive or negative.

02

Reason for atom to be invisible

Consider the range of the wavelength of the atom is 400-700 nm, this is the reason why it is invisible to the naked eyes and in the visible light. The electromagnetic radiation are not used to view such small object like atoms as the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave is larger than that of atom. If one uses the powerful microscopes to view the atoms, the person will not be able to distinguish the single atom

Therefore, the atom is invisible in visible light.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(a) What is the magnitude of the angular momentum for an l = 1 electron?

(b) Calculate the magnitude of the electron’s spin angular momentum.

(c) What is the ratio of these angular momenta?

Which of the following spectroscopic notations are not allowed?

\[\begin{array}{l}{\rm{(a)5}}{{\rm{s}}^{\rm{1}}}\\{\rm{(b)1}}{{\rm{d}}^{\rm{1}}}\\{\rm{(c)4}}{{\rm{s}}^{\rm{3}}}\\{\rm{(d)3}}{{\rm{p}}^{\rm{7}}}\\{\rm{(e)5}}{{\rm{g}}^{{\rm{15}}}}{\rm{.}}\end{array}\]

State which rule is violated for each that is not allowed

Find the wavelength of the third line in the Lyman series, and identify the type of EM radiation.

(a) If one subshell of an atom has 9 electrons in it, what is the minimum value of l ?

(b) What is the spectroscopic notation for this atom, if this subshell is part of the n = 3 shell?

Look up the values of the quantities in\[{{\bf{a}}_{\bf{B}}}{\bf{ = }}\frac{{{{\bf{h}}^{\bf{2}}}}}{{{\bf{4}}{{\bf{\pi }}^{\bf{2}}}{{\bf{m}}_{\bf{e}}}{\bf{kq}}_{\bf{e}}^{\bf{2}}}}\], and verify that the Bohr radius aB is 0.529 x 10-10 m.
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